The subject invention relates to a compression-cutting assembly for forming one or more longitudinally extending series of cuts and separable connectors in a fibrous insulation blanket so that the insulation blanket can be handled and installed as a unit or separated by hand along a longitudinally extending series of cuts and separable connectors into blanket sections having widths less than the insulation blanket and to a method of using the compression cutting assembly to form the one or more series of cuts and separable connectors in a fibrous insulation blanket. The invention includes the use of a unique compression-cutting blade and anvil assembly and a method of selecting the sizes of the teeth and notches in the compression-cutting blade that includes the use of an empirical equation.
Fibrous insulation blankets, such as glass fiber insulation blankets in batt or roll form are typically used to insulate the walls, ceiling, floors and roofs of homes and other residential building structures as well as for other similar insulating applications. A pre-cut fibrous insulation blanket and, in particular, a pre-cut resilient glass fiber insulation blanket has recently been developed which contains one or more longitudinally extending series of cuts and separable connectors that enable the insulation blanket to be handled and installed as a unit or separated by hand along a longitudinally extending series of cuts and separable connectors into blanket sections having widths less than the insulation blanket. These pre-cut fibrous insulation blankets enable insulation contractors to size the insulation blankets in width to insulate both standard width and narrower non-standard width building cavities formed by the framework of a building, such as external wall cavities of a residential building that are defined by the studs, without having to cut the insulation blankets in the field. By eliminating the need to cut the insulation blankets in the field, the pre-cut fibrous insulation blankets eliminate a safety hazard associated with the use of knives or other sharp cutting implements to cut insulation blankets in the field, greatly reduce the time required to insulate such cavities, and reduce unwanted scrap.
However, for best results, each series of longitudinally extending cuts and separable connectors formed in the insulation blanket should have separable connectors that have the integrity to hold the blanket sections together for handling and installation as a unit for insulating a standard width cavity while being readily tearable or separable, without the formation of tear outs, to enable the insulation blanket to be separated along one of the longitudinally extending cuts and separable connectors to form insulation blankets of lesser widths for insulating nonstandard width cavities. In addition, for ease of manufacture and for cost savings, the cutting assembly for forming each series of cuts and separable connectors in the fibrous insulation blanket should minimize damage to the separable connectors; not create excessive dust when cutting the fibers during the cutting operation, and minimize wear to the cutting assembly which would cause excessive down time.